Shloka 61
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
जायन्ते लक्षणैर्यैस्तुतानि मे शृणु सत्तम / मृगाश्वसूकरोष्ट्राणां ब्रह्महा योनिमृच्छति
jāyante lakṣaṇairyaistutāni me śṛṇu sattama / mṛgāśvasūkaroṣṭrāṇāṃ brahmahā yonimṛcchati
โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่ผู้มีธรรม จงฟังจากเราเถิดถึงลักษณะที่ทำให้รู้จักการเกิดเช่นนั้น ผู้ฆ่าพราหมณ์ย่อมไปเกิดในกำเนิดสัตว์ เช่น กวาง ม้า หมู และอูฐ เป็นต้น।
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Specific grave sins yield specific rebirth categories; brahmahatyā leads to animal births (mṛga, aśva, sūkara, uṣṭra).
Vedantic Theme: Samsaric transmigration across yonis driven by papa; loss of human adhikāra through adharma.
Application: Guard against violence and sacrilege; cultivate ahiṃsā and reverence for learning/teachers; use the teaching as a deterrent and as impetus for prāyaścitta and bhakti.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: terrestrial habitats / wombs of animals
Related Themes: Garuda Purana lists of mahāpātaka consequences and yoni-bheda (same adhyaya sequence)
FAQs
This verse treats brahmahatyā as a grave sin whose karmic result is degradation into lower births, specifically animal wombs, underscoring the Purana’s emphasis on dharma and the sanctity of the brāhmaṇa.
It links moral action to post-death destiny: severe wrongdoing imprints karma that propels the jīva into lower yonis, indicating a downward trajectory rather than a human or higher rebirth.
Practice non-violence, protect life, and uphold ethical conduct; the verse warns that extreme harm and adharma lead to severe karmic consequences, motivating restraint, repentance, and righteous living.